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Sports Reporter
A BLISTERING innings of 53 off only 18 balls by Cephas Zhuwao showed the Lions how to roar as they went down to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Southern Rocks on Tuesday afternoon at Harare Sports Club.
Lions briefly looked good in the first over of the match, when after being put in to bat Awad Naqvi hit three fours off Travor Mutsamba, only to be bowled by Sydney Murombo in the second over without addition.
There was only one good partnership in their innings, when Blessed Muzite and Bright Phiri put on 56 for the third wicket, but when it was broken the score was 85 after 15 overs, rather on the slow side.
Phiri made 29 and Muzite went on to score 46, but the rest of the batting failed completely and when the ninth wicket fell to the last ball of the 20th over the score was only 118 for nine.
Keith Jaure finished off the innings with three wickets for 24 runs, while Murombo and Dylan Hondo took two wickets each, Murombo for just eight runs in three overs.
Zhuwao put the result beyond doubt in no time at all, hitting the young Wallace Mubayiwa’s first two balls of the innings for six, and after the first over the score was 27 for no wicket – Zhuwao 25 and two no-balls.
Another three balls faced in Trevor Gwandu’s next over saw him hit another 11 runs, and he reached his fifty in the fourth over off 17 balls, with two successive sixes off Christopher Masike.
At this point Zhuwao was caught off the next delivery and the bowlers no doubt heaved great sighs of relief, although by now, at 61 for one off 3.4 overs, the match was as good as over.
Roy Kaia now joined his cousin Innocent Kaia, and the two of them calmly completed the victory in the 12th over.
Both faced 27 balls, and Innocent finished with 34 runs, Roy with 29.
In the end it was a one-sided match, and a steep learning curve for the young Lions players, who are now the only team in the competition without a victory.
Results in Summary:
Lions – 118-9 in 20 overs (Blessed Muzite 46, Bright Phiri 29, Awad Naqvi 12; Keith Jaure 3/24, Sydney Murombo 2/8, Nick Gubbins 1/22)
Southern Rocks – 119-1 in 11.4 overs (Cephas Zhuwao 53, Innocent Kaia 34*, Roy Kaia 29*; Christopher Masike 1/12)
Rhinos – 200-6 in 20 overs (Carl Mumba 38, Tashinga Musekiwa 38, Nyasha Mayavo 35; Chris Mpofu 3/38, Ernest Masuku 2/30, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/11)
Tuskers – 164-5 in 20 overs (Milton Shumba 34, Clive Madande 33, Luke Jongwe 32; Carl Mumba 1/15, Mike Chinouya 1/20, Neville Madziva 1/29)
Eagles – 171-6 in 20 overs (Chamu Chibhabha 81*, Nick Welch 25, Tadiwanashe Marumani 15; Donald Tiripano 2/20, Victor Nyauchi 1/20, Tinashe Muchawaya 1/27)
Mega Market Mountaineers – 153 all out in 16.5 overs (PJ Moor 89, Wellington Masakadza 22, Brian Bennett 16; Matt Parkinson 4/39, Tanaka Chivanga 3/30, Tawanda Dzikiti 1/11)
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